RB Ahmad Bradshaw - 10/11

RB Ahmad Bradshaw on facing a tough 49ers defense

Q: Are you interested in seeing your buddy?A: Oh yeah. I haven’t seen him in a while. It will be good to see some familiar faces out there in San Fran on the other side of the ball.

Q: You had 200 rushing yards last week. You go against the best run defense this week. Do you sit there and say that you can’t expect 200?A: Expect the unexpected. With this line, there’s no telling what we can accomplish and we’re just going to go out there and give it our all.

Q: What makes that front seven so good against the run?A: They’re just physical. They’re strong. They set blocks better than anybody in the league. They hit people up front and they come back to the ball. If the ball gets past them, they make plays downfield; even the big guys. So they never quit, they never stop and we’re up for the task and I think we’ll be fine.

Q: They’re a physical defense. That sounds like the type of defense you enjoy going against.A: Oh yeah, definitely. We like physical games. I do. I think we’re up for the task and I think we’re ready for it.

Q: What would it mean if you’re able to get Hakeem Nicks back?A: It would mean a lot. It gives the defense something else to worry about. It keeps them out of the box and I’m sure it makes Eli a little comfortable, too.

Q: Do you still think he’s going to play on Sunday?A: So far, yeah. I think so. He’s going to feel it out and hopefully we can get him out there.

Q: What made last week so successful now that you look back on it?A: We just played hard. We handled every responsibility we could on every play, especially the runs. We finished… A lot of guys we have seen down the field with me after runs and that’s just what you want to see as a runner and also as a coach.

Q: Would you like to carry the ball that many times during the game?A: Every game. I feel like as many times as I can touch the ball is as many times I can make a lot of different plays and get a lot of yards, so I don’t mind touching the ball at all that many times.

Q: Did you feel any more sore after the game?A: No, actually I didn’t. I felt great. Monday was a little tough, but now on Tuesday and yesterday and today, I feel surprisingly… I feel great.

Q: How satisfying was that performance for you?A: I’m never satisfied. I always feel like we could have done better. We left a lot of plays on the field that we could have ended up with 250 maybe 300. I’m never satisfied and I just work for better.

Q: Do you buy into the idea that your coach says you’re the underdogs and no one is expecting you to win?A: We’re like that every game, every year, every week. We just go into the game ready to play no matter if we’re underdogs or not.

Q: Are they lining up on defense and hitting people or are they schematically a difficult team to go against?A: They’re physical, they shed blocks well and they retreat well if the ball gets behind them. They make plays, they’re physical and we’re up for the task.